The Technological Competence of Arbitrators: A Comparative and International Legal Study

by Katia Fach Gómez

International arbitration is facing a moment of revolutionary change due to new technologies’ irruption into the entire arbitration procedure. Technical-legal concepts such as remote meetings, e-discovery, e-bundling, e-hearing, remote cross examination, virtual persuasion, cyber-security protocol, e-deliberations, algorithmic decision making, algorithmic bias, encryption, and digital signatures are part of day-to-day life in international arbitration. Technology’s impact on international arbitration is unlikely to decrease after the COVID crisis has been overcome; on the contrary, the way that the arbitration milieu positions itself vis-à-vis technology will be a key factor in determining the future of arbitration. Faced with this challenging scenario, the book reflects on a hitherto novel legal the relationship of commercial and investment arbitrators with this increasingly ubiquitous and rapidly changing technology.
 
This book applies journalism’s “5 W questions” to the underexplored issue of international arbitrators’ digital competence. Arriving at a workable definition of what digital competence is in the current international legal context is the necessary starting point in determining who has to be digitally competent in this T-context. If attention is focused on the figure of the international arbitrator and his/her relationship with other actors in international arbitration, the question arises as to when international arbitrators need to be digitally competent. This connects with where, which is responsible for determining whether there are currently any soft or hard law provisions that impose a digital competence duty on international arbitrators, as is already the case with respect to lawyers in some jurisdictions. It should be noted that the leading arbitral institutions worldwide are gradually incorporating these technological realities into the latest versions of their rules and guidelines, which also suggests that in the near future they will have to set their sights on their arbitrators themselves. All this leads to the essential question of why international arbitrators’ digital competence is relevant from a legal point of view, prompting reflection on whether Luddite arbitrators can be successfully challenged and whether technological incidents attributable to arbitrators may have effects in terms of award annulment or enforcement.


As it is the first monographic study to scrutinise the rapidly changing relationship between arbitrators and technology, the book sparks a crucial debate among practitioners and international scholars. Academically rigorous and making use of the latest legal material, the book emphasises arbitrators and practitioners’ needs and presents them with carefully selected hands-on topics. The unprecedented and well-grounded proposals for arbitrators’ digital competence are intended to be a call to action for its broad target audience.

160 pages, Hardcover

Published November 26, 2023

About the author

Katia Fach Gómez es Profesora Titular de Derecho Internacional Privado de la Universidad de Zaragoza. En el año 2001 se doctoró en Derecho (Doctorado europeo en idioma alemán, Sobresaliente cum laude por unanimidad) y en el año 2010 cursó un Máster jurídico en la Universidad de Fordham (NY-USA), con especialización en arbitraje internacional, ADRs y comercio internacional. En dicho máster obtuvo el premio jurídico Edward J. Hawk y la calificación summa cum laude.

La profesora Fach Gómez es autora de decenas de publicaciones jurídicas en inglés, español y alemán en materia de mediación, arbitraje, comercio internacional, inversiones y derecho internacional privado.

La doctora Fach Gómez ha sido profesora invitada en diversas universidades extranjeras (Estados Unidos, Europa y Latinoamérica) y es conferenciante habitual en congresos internacionales y nacionales en materias como mecanismos alternativos de resolución de conflictos y litigación internacional. La doctora Fach Gómez ha ejercido como experta jurídica en litigios comerciales internacionales, ha sido árbitro único en múltiples arbitrajes internacionales y nacionales, presidenta de paneles de arbitrajes nacionales, secretaria de tribunales arbitrales de inversión y comerciales y posee experiencia práctica en mediación civil y mercantil.

Katia Fach Gómez ha sido designada por el Reino de España como conciliadora para la lista oficial del Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias Relativas a inversiones (CIADI) (2020-2026), es mediadora acreditada en el Registro oficial de Mediadores del Ministerio de Justicia español y mediadora inscrita en el Registro de Mediadores de Aragón.